Trial of Tornado Cash Is in Flux as Legal Team for Roman Storm Ponders Motion for Mistrial
Roman Storm Trial: Ongoing Without Signs of Imminent Mistrial
The Roman Storm trial, which began in June 2025, is currently in the defense phase, with closing arguments expected by late July. Storm, co-founder of Tornado Cash, faces charges of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, violating U.S. sanctions, and one count of conspiracy to launder money [1][2][3].
The core dispute in the trial revolves around whether Tornado Cash can be held criminally liable as a tool or if Storm can be held responsible for users' illicit activities. The defense argues that Tornado Cash is an open-source privacy tool, similar to software like a VPN, and that Storm should not be held accountable for users' criminal actions, emphasizing the protocol's legitimate uses in restrictive jurisdictions [1][3].
Regarding potential for a mistrial due to the prosecution’s presentation of seemingly irrelevant evidence related to Tornado Cash, no credible information from the search results suggests that irrelevant evidence has triggered or is likely to trigger a mistrial [1][2][3][4].
Judge Failla has expressed concern about the lack of communication in the case, stating, "I've never seen this lack of communication in any criminal case I've presided over." Prominent on-chain sleuths have questioned the federal government's case against Storm, bolstering the defense's claim that there might be grounds for a mistrial [1].
Roman Storm's lawyers are considering filing a motion for a mistrial due to perceived irrelevance of witness testimonies in the federal prosecutor's case against Storm [1]. Taylor Monahan, principal security researcher for software wallet MetaMask, has performed an on-chain data analysis that supports the claim that Hanfeng Lin's funds did not appear to go to Tornado Cash [1].
The prosecution claims it will soon provide evidence that Lin's funds did, in fact, travel through Tornado Cash. IRS Agent George is expected to testify for the prosecution about the movement of Lin's funds to Tornado Cash [1].
ZachXBT, a prominent, pseudonymous on-chain sleuth, has endorsed Monahan's findings. However, Payback, a crypto recovery service enlisted by Lin, has not responded to Decrypt's request for comment [1]. Monahan has criticized Payback's services, calling its employees "bumbling fucking idiots."
The case is poised to clarify coders' legal liabilities under existing U.S. laws and has been framed by some as a proxy for the fight to protect privacy-preserving technologies. Exploits and scams pose a major risk to decentralized finance users, spurring the growth of a cottage industry of blockchain sleuths. However, there is no crypto industry-wide certification that regulates who can call themselves an "on-chain sleuth" or offer recovery services to victims of hacks.
If found guilty on all counts, Storm faces a maximum of 45 years in prison. The trial is poised to be a significant legal precedent in the realm of privacy-preserving technologies and their potential liabilities under U.S. law.
*Mistrial: A trial that is deemed invalid due to errors or misconduct in judicial proceedings. *On-chain sleuth: A person who investigates transactions on a blockchain.
[1] https://decrypt.co/96641/roman-storm-tornado-cash-trial-mistrial [2] https://www.coindesk.com/business/2025/06/25/roman-storm-trial-begins-as-crypto-industry-watches-closely/ [3] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-25/tornado-cash-founder-roman-storm-trial-begins-amid-crypto-controversy [4] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/technology/roman-storm-trial-begins.html
- The Roman Storm trial, revolving around Tornado Cash and its co-founder, is ongoing, with no signs of an imminent mistrial.
- The defense argue that Tornado Cash is an open-source privacy tool, similar to a VPN, and Storm should not be held accountable for users' criminal actions.
- Despite the prosecution's presentation of seemingly irrelevant evidence, no credible information suggests that it has or will trigger a mistrial.
- Roman Storm's lawyers are considering filing a motion for a mistrial due to perceived irrelevance of witness testimonies in the federal prosecutor's case.
- Taylor Monahan, a principal security researcher for software wallet MetaMask, has performed an on-chain data analysis that supports the claim that Hanfeng Lin's funds did not appear to go to Tornado Cash.
- The prosecution claims it will soon provide evidence that Lin's funds did, in fact, travel through Tornado Cash, with IRS Agent George expected to testify.
- The trial's outcome could set a legal precedent for privacy-preserving technologies, particularly in the decentralized finance sector, where on-chain sleuths fight against exploits and scams. However, there is no industry-wide certification for on-chain sleuths or crypto recovery services.
